DuoFest 2017

Boston Court reimagines it summer music series with a weeklong festival. Each evening features two or more artists, performing separately and together, showcasing new and rarely performed work.

Monday, July 10 @ 7 p.m.: Student Composer Readings (free event)

For serious lovers of new music, this evening event is a behind-the-scenes look at the creation process. Hosted by Synchromy and in collaboration with Boston Court, selected undergraduate composition students get to hear and workshop their new works with professional musicians, and receive feedback on their pieces from the musicians, professional coaches—and the audience.

Violinist Adrianne Pope and violist Linnea Powell make up Aperture Duo, which aims to push the limits of the violin and viola with programs that go from Baroque to new commissions.

Autoduplicity is cellist Jennifer Bewerse and flutist Rachel Beetz. They are dedicated to performing contemporary music and avant-garde creations. “Their concerts are carefully constructed as musical, ideological, political, or theoretical explorations probing themes of blurred identities and realities, the physicality of sound, the movement of our bodies, and the rhythms of our speech.”

Along with works by Christian Wolff, Kaija Saariaho, and Kurt Isaacson, the evening includes the world premier of Jason Barbara’s micro-opera Any Exuse Will Serve a Tyrant with soprano Justine Aronson and baritone Scott Graff.

Boston Court Artistic Director Mark Salesman hosts composers and performers for an expansive “meet and greet.” This is not only a handshake and introduction, but an opportunity to learn about each other’s work and discuss future potential collaborations.

“Audience members will get an inside look at this process, and hear from the participants about what sparks of creativity are ignited in this unique evening of musical chairs.”

Nic Gerpe on piano and Pasha Tseitlin on violin create the “exciting,” “virtuosic,” and “irresistible” Panic Duo. The evening’s program includes the world premier of Juhi Bansal’s Whip the Devil and excerpts from Veronika Krausas’ Hopscotch Tarot “that Angelenos will recognize from Industry’s spectacular ‘limousine opera,’ Hopscotch.”

Dancer Teresa Barcelo is featured in the world premiere of a new work based on the Portuguese story “A bela e a fera ou A ferida grande demais” about a beauty who embraces her inner beast. Set to original music, recorded by noted saxophonist Joe Berry and narrator Paula Rebelo, experience a modern story told through the pairing of dance and music, as well as English and Portuguese.—Boston Court, official text

Ludwig van was the best known film made by Mauricio Kagel, the Argentinean-born German who took private lessons in singing, orchestra conducting, piano, violoncello, and organ; joined the Agrupacion Nueva Musica of Buenos Aires at the age of 16, and studied philosophy and literature at the University of Buenos Aires where one of his professors was Jorge Luis Borges.

Ludwig van is “a critical interrogation of the uses of L.v. Beethoven’s music made during the bicentenary of the composer’s birth.”

All DuoFest artists return for the festival’s finale, a “musical extravaganza” with DuoFest musicians, a myriad of other musical performers (including a DJ), and excerpts from the eponymous film… A once in a lifetime event, not to be missed!”